Which is worse for water infrastructure: cyberattacks—or a more ordinary kind of hazard that is almost universal and has been decades in the making? Read on to know more:

Cyber Defense

At a recent hearing of the House Committee on Homeland Security, David Gadis, CEO of DC Water, explained that maintaining a strong cyber defense “is just as much a part of our infrastructure as maintaining our pipes and filtration systems. Robust planning for cybersecurity is no longer optional in the water sector. It is a key part of what we do every day.”

As an example of the kind of attacks that must be prevented, attendees cited the 2021 hack of the Oldsmar, Florida, water system. The bad guy entered a command to increase the concentration of lye to over 100 times the normal concentration.

Lye is used to raise the pH of water in order to minimize corrosion. High concentrations can cause difficulty breathing, internal bleeding, esophageal burns, vomiting, collapse, shock, and even death. Fortunately, the increase in lye was detected almost immediately and reversed before the water supply of Oldsmar could be appreciably affected. No one was poisoned.

Also dramatizing the problem is a more successful attack on a water treatment plant in San Francisco that had occurred a few weeks earlier. The hacker deleted programs used to treat drinking water, and the problem was not discovered until the next day. So far as is known, no one got sick as a result of the temporary interruption of water treatment.

Both incidents call attention to the fact that the nation’s largely independent and insecure water systems are vulnerable to cyber assault: “50,000 security disasters waiting to happen,” in the words of NBC News.

Among critical infrastructures, water systems may be the most vulnerable to cyberattacks — and the hardest to harden against them.

Yet water infrastructure may also be the target of highest value for hackers eager to cause trouble on as large a scale as possible. (Meanwhile, as if to increase our anxiety about the vulnerability of digital systems, we’re learning that various foreign spy agencies often seem to be able to traipse through government and private networks in the US at will.)

To improve the cybersecurity of public water systems, the Biden administration has recommended new rules that place more responsibility at the state level and that require cybersecurity audits in addition to existing sanitary surveys. But experts have criticized the plan for doing too little and also for overlooking many practical difficulties.

The Greatest Threat to Water Systems?

Although cyber threats are a great and growing problem, water infrastructure in the United States is facing a homegrown threat that is even larger — orders of magnitude larger. Indeed, it’s everywhere. And the cost of saving the nation from this threat and providing more sustainable water management may run into the trillions.

Hackers can attack a single water system: one system among tens of thousands of independent systems. But the larger threat we’re talking about is already attacking a large number of water systems at once, knocking entire municipal systems offline and turning pipe networks into Swiss cheese. Alas, the problem is so familiar that, for the most part, it’s not really setting off any alarms.

This threat is simple wear and tear. Water systems are falling apart.

Normally, the pace of wear and tear is more manageable. But for historical reasons, a great deal of the country’s water infrastructure is breaking down at the same time — now. Part of the explanation is that as U.S. pipe networks were being laid from the late 19th century through the 20th century, the quality of the pipe was diminishing. So over a century’s worth of pipe all has roughly the same expiration date. As a result, the costs involved in detecting and fixing leaks are pervasive and growing.

Concern about hackers targeting our communities is understandably more immediate and intense than concern about gradual deterioration. The rising number of cyber assaults on critical infrastructure, including water infrastructure, is definitely a crisis. But it shouldn’t steal the spotlight from the much bigger threat to water infrastructure we must grapple with: old age.

The post Coping With Threats to U.S. Water Infrastructure first appeared on BioEnergy Consult.

What is Water Hardness?

Ironically, water hardness has nothing to do with water turning into a solid block of ice or anything involving a transition into something solid. However, the reason for this name is because of what is actually in the water we use or drink.

Sometimes the water we use seems to be different despite the whole house being a general example of cleanliness. For example, one may notice some minerals that are present in cooking dishes or the more obvious scum that seems to be resistant to cleaning.

The simple reason for this would be the existence of “hard water” or water that appears to be infused with undesirable metals, the more prominent ones being calcium and magnesium. These are usually caused by water travelling through places filled with soil and rock, but some have found that water from wells is a breeding ground for this kind of water.

As a simple experiment to test if your home does have hard water, you may take a bottle and fill it up to one-third of it, and you should apply a few drops of soap. From here, shake or mix the solution well, and naturally, the mixture should be clear with bubbles at the top.

However, if it turns milky and lacks bubbles, your water is hard. The water does not cause any severe problems for the consumer, but these will cause some pipes, appliances, and other parts of the house that use water.

How do you calculate water hardness?

Before knowing how to calculate the possible hardness present in your water, you need to know that there are two types of this hardness, temporary and permanent. Since we want to know more about water hardness, measuring hard water would mean we would be looking for permanent hardness.

This, unlike temporary hardness, cannot be removed by heating the undesirable aspects of the water.

An option for calculating water hardness is to manually calculate the hardness using calcium and magnesium values. However, you would need to submit samples to the lab to receive the exact amount of the minerals found in the water. Nevertheless, it would require the use of equations.

The general equation would be as follows:

CaCO3 (Total Permanent Hardness) = Mg (mg/L) as CaCO3 + Ca (mg/L) as CaCO3

The general equation is the sum of both the hardness of Magnesium and Calcium. However, Magnesium and Calcium hardness is determined by another equation in the form of:

Ca or Mg hardness mg/L as CaCO3 / Equivalent Weight of CaCO3 = Ca or Mg in mg/L / Equivalent Weight of Ca or Mg

Calculating the equivalent weight would involve dividing the atomic weight by the valency, and these hold values. For example, calcium would be 20.04 while Magnesium would value at 12.15.

For Calcium Carbonate, this requires the molecular weight, which would be set at 50.04.

In sum, we must first determine the hardness first of the minerals, using the given values of Calcium or Magnesium in milligrams per litre and the set equivalent weights from the mineral being calculated and Calcium Carbonate. You can use the ISCO water sampler for the same.

Once with the two values, they may be added up to form the total permanent hardness of Calcium Carbonate.

Since one calculates for any concerning value, it would also be wise to know the desired water hardness level. It is important to remember that water still possesses minerals that are helpful to the body. However, much like everything in daily life, an excess can cause future problems.

The healthy amount would be at 10 to 50 parts per million of the Calcium Carbonate, while the slightly hard would range from 50 to a hundred. The actual hard water is seen when the amount hits 100, while 200 parts is an amount in which it is incredibly excessive.

Negative Impacts of Hard Water

As mentioned before, hard water does not have any serious problems when consumed by drinking.

This could be a great help for the body as it can give minerals that it could lack. However, this causes much more visible problems when used as bathwater as it interferes with soaps and other cleaning regiments, eventually leaving the skin to become irritated and dry.

These also affect pipes, boilers, and other water-using items in the household as this could affect their daily functions.

We can appreciate the use of hardness as a benefit, but this causes more damage in the long term. Therefore, it is important to be aware and stop this at the earliest possible moment.

Recommended Reading

• 5 Reasons to Get a Countertop Water Filter in Your House
• How Does Water Filtration Work?

The post Water Hardness: Knowing and Calculating The Perfect “Mineral Water” first appeared on BioEnergy Consult.

1. AquaPhoenix Scientific

AquaPhoenix Scientific is a full-suite water data management tool provider designed to streamline operations and enhance informed decision-making. Its software solutions provide user-friendly interfaces and customizable dashboards.

The end-to-end solutions provider empowers users to quickly identify trends, track key performance indicators (KPIs) and generate detailed reports. Its software also integrates seamlessly with laboratory instruments and other information sources, eliminating manual data entry and reducing the risk of errors.

Key features:

• Centralized data management
• Customizable dashboards and reports
• Seamless integration with laboratory instruments
• Automated data validation and quality control
• Compliance tracking and reporting

AquaPhoenix Scientific’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction makes it a top choice for organizations seeking to optimize their water data management processes.

2. HACH

HACH is a widely recognized water information management system that has been serving customers since 1933. It provides a comprehensive solution for data collection, analysis and reporting. With its robust features and user-friendly interface, HACH helps businesses manage their water quality data and comply with regulatory requirements.

It offers diverse tools for data validation, trend analysis and statistical reporting, empowering users to make informed decisions and optimize their water treatment processes. HACH integrates seamlessly with various information sources, including laboratory instruments and other databases.

3. Locus Technologies

Locus Technologies is a cloud- and mobile-based water data management platform. Its software enables users to collect, store and analyze water quality information from multiple sources, including field instruments, laboratory analyses and remote sensors.

This scalable and secure solution works for organizations of all sizes. Locus’s platform also offers advanced features such as data visualization, predictive modeling and real-time monitoring, empowering users to proactively manage their water resources and mitigate potential risks.

4. Esri’s ArcGIS

Esri’s ArcGIS platform is a powerful geospatial water data management and analysis tool fit for businesses. With its advanced mapping and spatial analysis capabilities, ArcGIS enables organizations to visualize and analyze water quality data in a geographic context.

The ArcGIS software offers tools for hydrological modeling, watershed management and water resource planning. It gives users the tools to make informed decisions and optimize water management.

5. Aquatic Informatics

Aquatic Informatics is a software solution for water data management, notably Aquarius. This leading platform for time-series data management enables companies to collect, process and analyze water quality information from various sources, including sensors, gauges and laboratory analyses.

HydroCorrect is the latest automated data validation tool developed for Aquarius. It empowers proactive monitoring and management of groundwater, flooding and water quality.

The software also offers advanced features such as data validation, automated reporting and real-time monitoring. This empowers users to manage their water resources and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

6. Trimble Unity

Trimble Unity is a robust cloud-based platform that’s capable of delivering comprehensive solutions and products for managing water and wastewater infrastructure. Thanks to its mobile workforce management capabilities, the software provider helps businesses streamline their field operations and improve data collection efficiency.

The platform is adorned with tools for asset management, work order management and regulatory compliance.

7. Open Water Foundation (OWF)

OWF is a nonprofit social enterprise highly praised for improving access to data and information and upholding transparency, even on complex issues. It’s developed proprietary, open-source software and data solutions to empower clients to make better decisions regarding water resources.

OWF’s software tools enable businesses to collect, store and analyze water data from multiple sources — stream gauges, weather stations and water quality monitoring sites. The social and sustainability champion fosters collaboration and innovation. Clients can easily personalize and extend the software to meet their specific needs.

8. Hydstra

Hydstra by Kisters is another all-inclusive hydrological data management system for efficient water data collection, validation and analysis. It supports real-time data acquisition from diverse sources — sensors and telemetry systems — to provide timely insights into water resources.

Hydstra’s robust data validation tools help maintain data accuracy, while its analytical capabilities promote informed decision-making. Its system’s reporting features facilitate compliance with regulatory standards, making it a valuable tool for water authorities and environmental agencies.

9. EarthSoft EQuIS

Data management platform EarthSoft EQuIS is one of the most widely used environmental data management products. The renowned company is widely used for managing ecological and geotechnical data, such as water quality information. It offers a centralized platform for data collection, validation and reporting. Know that your information is intact and in compliance with regulatory requirements.

EQuIS can also support various data formats and integrate with laboratory information management systems (LIMS), streamlining workflows. Its advanced reporting and analysis tools enable users to identify trends, assess environmental impacts and make informed decisions.

10. Seeq

Seeq is an advanced analytics platform capable of delivering multifaceted solutions and products for businesses in diverse industries, including water and wastewater treatment. The qualified team at Seeq guides users in analyzing time-series data from various sources, including SCADA systems, historians and laboratory databases.

Seeq’s cutting-edge analytics capabilities — pattern recognition, artificial intelligence, machine learning and predictive modeling — equip users with the skills they need to identify operational inefficiencies and optimize process performance. This improves water quality while minimizing waste. Its collaborative approach facilitates knowledge sharing, which accelerates problem-solving.

Choosing the Right Top-Rated Software for Managing Water Testing Data

Figuring out how to pick the top-rated software for managing water testing data is a decision that needs special consideration as it significantly impacts your efficiency, compliance and overall success.

Carefully evaluating each solution’s features, capabilities and pricing enables businesses to make informed decisions that align with their specific goals, needs and budget. The end game is to effectively manage data and drive sustainable water management practices.

The post The Top 10 Water Data Management Software Options in 2025 first appeared on BioEnergy Consult.

Maximizing profits, minimizing waste

The impact of decreasing water levels and the rise of droughts is already having a serious impact on businesses. According to ABC, rising costs are inevitable, and that includes in traditionally water-rich areas such as Illinois, USA. Water can be lost through faulty plumbing, but also through business groundwork and premises. Too many non-water-retaining surfaces, such as asphalt, concrete and imitation lawns, can lead to water runoff, giving no benefit to the business and creating losses.

There is a clear business case for trying to trap this water. Studies have shown that huge savings can be made by installing infrastructure and policies that seek to retain water. Going in at the base level is a great place to start in generating real long-term savings.

Long-term impacts

Fighting water loss will also help to combat climate change, an area in which there is already untold damage being done to businesses. According to CNBC, the accumulated damage caused by climate change will cost businesses $2 trillion by the end of the century – every single year. This is a 7.1% loss in revenue in the USA alone. Businesses in less well protected areas of the world, especially around the equator, can stand to lose even more in the short term.

A proper climate change action policy is essential in getting involved in the fight against this, and that includes retaining as much water as possible – in the USA, and further afield, drought is already a major problem.

A sustainable generation

When it comes to business reputation, savvy owners know that it’s the opinion of their customers that really matters. The customer’s need trump everything else, and there’s a lot of evidence to back up just how much the customer really cares about the impact on the environment of the business they are purchasing from.

According to Forbes, 58% of consumers – all consumers, not just the typically more progressively-minded youth – will now pay more for products that come from companies with considerable green credentials. This is a massive opportunity for businesses to get ahead of competition and cement a long-term name in the industry.

As you can see, water saving policies aren’t only common sense – they’re a real action to take in the fight against climate change, and improving company profits. A business stands to benefit to a large degree from embracing pro-green policies.

The post The Business Case For Water Conservation first appeared on BioEnergy Consult.

Key features

How many hardness granules may be treated per gallon? Water that is up to 95 gpg is extremely hard.

Morton water softeners, by the way, are built in the United States and may be used with both city and well water.

According to WQA test results, the M30 can even remove up to 7 parts per million of clear-water iron, which many homes on a private well struggle with. No, ferric, iron bacteria, or organic iron compounds are not affected.

The given flow rate of 7 gpm is enough for families with up to three occupants.

The minimum operating pressure for this device is 20 psi. 125 psi is the maximum pressure.

If you’re unsure about which salt to use, Morton advises System Saver II Pellets (of course). However, any high-grade softening salt in pellet form should suffice.

Performance

Because it can treat water with up to 95 grains of hardness, the Morton System Saver M30 softener is one of the higher performing salt-based water softeners on the market. As a result, the System Saver M30 may be used with water of virtually any hardness, even private well water.

During regeneration, all salt-based water softeners waste water, but this best Morton softening feature employs sophisticated technology to minimize this waste as much as possible. It evaluates your household’s average water consumption and forecasts how often the system will need to renew, saving water waste and salt replenishment.

The System Saver employs ion exchange to soften water as a salt-based softener. Ion exchange is a typical method for softening water that often delivers the greatest results. The system may also remove up to 7ppm of iron, preventing rust from forming. The system is designed to create soft water for four-person households and has a grain capacity of 30,000 grains.

Installation and Maintenance

The Morton M30 might be difficult to install. Many individuals prefer to hire a professional plumber instead of doing it themselves. Although the device comes with an installation instructions, if you don’t have much plumbing knowledge, you may find it difficult to set up the system on your own.

Outside installation is possible, but only if you live in an area where the temperature does not dip below freezing. With a height of 43 inches and a width of 17 inches, it’ll help you save room or fit neatly into a smaller space.

The System Saver’s maintenance consists of filling up the salt and cleaning up the tanks on a regular basis. Because the Morton system is dependent on salt to function, you’ll need to keep a check on the salt levels and replenish them as needed. You’ll also need to wipe out the interior of the tank and remove any sediment or slime, as directed in the user handbook.

System info

The Morton System Saver softens water with a single tank and ion exchange. Sodium (or salt) ions exchange places with hardness ions, resulting in calcium and magnesium ions when they flow through the tank’s resin. While the soft water exits the tank and travels through your home’s plumbing, the calcium and magnesium remain trapped in the resin.

With this Morton softener, you should be able to enjoy a variety of soft water perks. Because your soft water lathers better, you’ll be able to reduce your use of soaps and detergents. You won’t have to clean as often since your water won’t create limescale deposits, and your appliances will last longer. You should have whiter, fresher laundry as well.

The system also eliminates iron, and if your water is unusually rich in iron, the creators recommend using Morton® Rust Remover salt. Although there is some debate over whether a salt-based softener with a filter can genuinely remove iron, many customers have commended the Morton M30 for its rust-removal skills. If your water contains a lot of iron, you should probably invest in a separate iron filter.

Final verdict

Leaks were a problem for certain consumers. Morton customer service received diverse reviews, ranging from terrible to excellent.

Another disadvantage is the exorbitant cost of replacing parts, such as the control board. Finally, the installation instructions should be improved.

The Morton System Saver M30 softens water in the proper manner. It can even manage modest iron levels and is simple to set up. However, it appears that overall quality and customer service are a problem. Nonetheless, we believe it is a reasonably excellent water softener on the market.

The post Morton M30 Water Softener – Should You Get It? first appeared on BioEnergy Consult.

What are Heat Pump Water Heaters?

Before you can understand how heat pump water heaters save money and energy, you need to know how they work and what makes them different from other types of water heaters.

Typical water heaters work by generating their own heat through electricity, which means they have to expend energy creating the heat that is then transferred to the water. Conversely, a heat pump water heater uses electricity to move heat from one place to another. Since it doesn’t have to create the heat, it’s up to three times more efficient than a traditional water heater.

A heat pump water heater draws in heat from the air around it, heats it to a higher temperature, and transfers it to the water in the storage tank. Heat pump water heaters come in various models, including standalone units, integrated units that include a storage tank, and retrofit units that can be added to a traditional storage water heater.

Saving Energy, Saving Money

The way in which heat pump water heaters save homeowners money is simple: they require less electricity to operate than traditional models. When you use less electricity, you spend less money on your energy bills. With a unit that is up to three times as efficient as a traditional electric water heater, you can save some serious cash each year.

Of course, this benefits the environment as well. When you use less electricity, you effectively reduce the demand for fossil fuels, which are a finite resource. While it might not seem like you’re doing a lot to help the environment just by changing the type of water heater you use, you are actually making a big difference. The more homeowners who make this switch, the better off the surrounding environment will be.

Climate Matters — Somewhat

Homeowners should be aware that heat pump hot water heaters don’t work as well in all climates. The year-round temperature should be between 40°F and 90°F so the pump has heat in the air that it can transfer to the water. In cold climates that dip below 40°F at least part of the year, heat pumps will not do a great job of heating the water.

In fact, by installing a heat pump in a space that has excess heat, such as in a furnace room or a stuffy attic, will increase its efficiency, since it has more heat to work with from the start. This doesn’t mean you can’t install a heat pump in a cooler climate because they will still work. They just won’t be as efficient as they are in a hot environment.

Conclusion

The next time you find yourself in the market for a new hot water heater, give a heat pump model a shot. You’ll be pleased with the savings you gain, both in money and in energy

The post Save Energy and Money – With a Heat Pump Water Heater first appeared on BioEnergy Consult.

General Estimate

To really understand what size hot water system you need, you’ll want to calculate the amount of hot water your household uses during the time of day when you use the most hot water. However, if you just need a general estimate for size to start shopping around or to get a loose idea of how much it’s going to cost you to buy a new hot water system, you can use these basic numbers to find the right water heater size:

• If there is one or two people in your household, choose a 30-40 gallon system.
• If there are two or three people in your household, choose a 40-50 gallon system.
• If there are three or four people in your household, choose a 50-60 gallon system.
• If there are five or more people in your household, choose a 60-80 gallon system.

As you can see, there is some overlap in the right size hot water system when there are two or three people in your household. This is why you’ll need to more carefully consider your household’s hot water usage before actually deciding on a system and having one installed.

Hot Water Usage Habits

The larger factor in what size hot water system you should purchase is your household’s hot water usage habits. Some families of five might be perfectly fine with a 30-gallon system because they don’t use very much hot water. Maybe they’re used to taking short showers and washing their clothes in cold water. Perhaps they have very few hot water appliances in their home and are very conservative when using hot water throughout the day. A 30-gallon system might make perfect sense for them.

Conversely, a couple could need a 60-gallon hot water system because they enjoy taking long, luxurious or multiple showers and believe their clothes can’t get sanitized without being washed in scalding water. They may also run their dishwasher frequently, which also increases the usage of hot water. In their case, the smaller recommended size hot water system for one or two people wouldn’t meet their needs.

Calculate Your Exact Usage

As previously mentioned, the best way to determine the right size hot water system for your household is to calculate your actual hot water usage. You can do this by estimating the amount of hot water you use for various activities (10 gallons for a shower, four gallons for handwashing dishes, six gallons for using an automatic dishwasher, and seven gallons for a clothes washer) and multiply each activity by the number of times it happens during your peak hour of usage.

Conclusion

Once you’ve calculated your exact water usage, you can find the first hour rating (FHR) for a hot water system that matches your peak hour usage. This will ensure you have the right amount of hot water for even you heaviest usage times.

The post Choosing the Right Hot Water System Size first appeared on BioEnergy Consult.

Current Arizona Water Supply

According to the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), the average daily water consumption per resident is 146 gallons. The latest census puts the Arizona population at more than seven million, so the average water consumption of the state is well above a billion gallons per day.

About 20% of the state’s water supply goes to municipal use, mostly residential. As much as 70% of the residential supply goes outdoors for irrigation, swimming pools, car washing, and more. Indoor activities consume the remaining percentage.

Arizona Water Sources

The state of Arizona gets its water from a robust network drawing from multiple sources. While a portion of the Arizona water supply comes from groundwater, more than 80% of the population relies on water from the Colorado River through projects such as CAP – Central Arizona Project. Arizonans also collect water from in-state rivers and reclaimed water.

Below is an overview of the primary water sources:

1. Surface Water

The surface water comes from lakes, rivers, and streams and is a major renewable resource. Arizona’s desert climate means the amount of surface water varies from season to season and over the years. The state has various storage reservoirs and delivery systems to make the most of available surface water. Notable rivers include those set in River Salt, Gila, Verde, and Agua Fria.

2. Colorado River Water

The Colorado River is the largest source of renewable water supply in Arizona, and the state is allowed to use 2.8 million acre-feet annually. Some AZ counties like La Paz and Yuma use Colorado River water. The CAP project also delivers Colorado River water to the Pima, Pinal, and Maricopa counties.

3. Groundwater

For many years, groundwater was the primary source of water in Arizona and many other regions. Groundwater is non-renewable, so the government passed laws in 1980 to improve management. The laws were also created to help reduce the state’s reliance on the resource. Arizona still gets a considerable portion of its water from groundwater found beneath the earth’s surface in natural aquifers.

4. Reclaimed Water

Arizona has seen an increase in the reclaimed water supply as the population grows. Reclaimed water is treated to a safe quality for agriculture, industrial cooling, wildlife areas maintenance, and parks.

Arizona Water Usage Over the Years

Despite the population growth, the state of Arizona uses less water today than in the past. According to ADWR, Arizona used about 7.1 million acre-feet of water back in the 1950s, a figure that is lower than the 7.0 million acre-feet recorded in 2017. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons of water, or the volume needed to cover one acre of land with water.

Water demand in Arizona has gone through fluctuations over the years. Today, the demand has leveled out, although the population has grown from about 1 million to 7 million within the last 50 years.

Summary

Arizona uses water from the Colorado River and groundwater but has seen increased reclaimed water supply and surface reservoirs. To remedy this issue, the government has various compacts and strategies in the area to help preserve enough water for future generations.

Water conservation and knowledge are both critical to the state’s wellbeing. About 20% of the water supply goes to municipal use while 70% goes to agriculture. Learn more about Arizona water resources and facts by contacting an Arizona water supply company.

The post How Much Water is Used in Arizona Daily? first appeared on BioEnergy Consult.

When organic matter enters a water source, like a river, aquatic lifeforms consume it as food. As the organic pollutants break down, the animals require more oxygen for the process. This leaves less oxygen in the water overall. When oxygen levels become dangerously low, animals in the water suffocate and die.

Wastewater is toxic

Although some fish and other animals can break down toxins, toxic water is a serious risk to human health and is responsible for millions of deaths each year, mostly in developing nations.

Unclean water also causes diseases like cholera and schistosomiasis. Although these diseases generally occur in developing countries that don’t treat their wastewater, they can occur anywhere.

What is wastewater treatment? How does it work?

Wastewater treatment is the process of filtering contaminants out of water that has been previously used for another purpose. This process can occur both naturally and through manmade efforts.

Our ecosystem has a natural water treatment system that involves microorganisms that eat waste material, along with different layers of substrate and soil that filter the water as it absorbs into the earth. However, this process is too slow to efficiently filter the enormous amount of wastewater produced by humans. That’s where water treatment facilities come into play.

Water treatment plants are complex systems

What exactly happens at a wastewater treatment plant? While there are different methods, some of the systems use similar components. For example, the Four Rivers Sanitation Authority in Illinois treats wastewater by first pumping it to a higher elevation for gravity to pull the water through the first part of the treatment and filtering process.

The treatment process begins by filtering out the largest debris like plastic to prevent the pumps from becoming damaged. Debris that gets filtered out is then sent to a landfill.

Next, abrasive materials like sand and coffee grounds are filtered out of the wastewater. This grit is separated and sent to a landfill.

Settling tanks are then used to filter out fats, oils, and greases. These tanks also separate solids, most of which are sent to a separate processing facility. A small amount of solids are sent to the aeration tanks to maintain the proper environment required for microorganisms to devour the solids.

The water is then processed through a second set of settling tanks and is then disinfected with high-powered bleach. Sodium bisulfite is used to reduce the amount of chlorine in the water to make it less harmful to plant life when it’s discharged into the river.

What is in wastewater, exactly?

Since wastewater comes from human use, thousands of contaminants are present, although not all are present in every batch of water. In general, there are both inorganic and organic compounds found in wastewater.

Organic matter found in wastewater includes:

• Proteins
• Fats
• Oils
• Greases
• Synthetic compounds from detergents
• Carbohydrates

Inorganic matter found in wastewater includes:

• Copper
• Lead
• Nickel
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Zinc
• Sodium

Most of these contaminants come from industrial wastewater and aren’t easily broken down. When these inorganic compounds collect in water sources, they build up over time, making the water increasingly toxic to animals and humans.

Other matter found in wastewater includes:

• Nutrients: High levels of nitrogen and phosphorous create “dead zones” by feeding large algae blooms. These blooms block sunlight, causing plants to die. Bacteria then proliferate by feeding on the dead plant matter.
• Microorganisms: Harmful microorganisms include E. coli, parasites, and bacteria.
• Pharmaceuticals: Pharmaceuticals enter wastewater through human waste and people flushing drugs down the toilet.

Wastewater treatment can help with water scarcity

There are many places across the world that experience droughts and water shortages on a regular basis. Without treating wastewater, drinking water sources become (and remain) contaminated. This includes rivers, lakes, and streams.

Treating wastewater in these areas would provide residents with a clean source of water to use for drinking, washing clothes, and bathing. After continually treating the wastewater, it would eventually bring the rivers, lakes, and streams back to a less-polluted state over a long period of time.

However, getting a treatment system set up takes money, time, and resources. The nations that need it the most can afford it the least. However, there are people and organizations working on solutions to this problem.

It’s not an overnight fix, but hopefully, one of those organizations will soon create a successful model that works for developing nations.

The post Why Wastewater Treatment is Crucial in Our Society first appeared on BioEnergy Consult.

Water softeners remedy this by softening water and making it easier to use. There are two types of water softeners; salt-based water softeners and salt-free water softeners. How both types work and why salt-free softeners are critical for wastewater management is the topic of this article.

How Salt-Based Water Softeners Work

Salt-based water softeners have resin tanks that contain thousands of tiny, negatively charged resin beads.

Hard water contains positively charged magnesium and calcium ions. When it passes through the water softener unit, the resin beads attract the magnesium and calcium so they stick to them. Calcium and magnesium ions are then exchanged for sodium ions. The resin beads eventually become saturated with calcium and magnesium, and they have to be rinsed off with saltwater in a process called regeneration.

Regeneration usually happens in the middle of the night. The process is simple – water softeners have a salt storage tank where brine forms. During regeneration, the sodium ions in the saltwater solution replace the magnesium and calcium ions until the resin bed is fully covered with new sodium. Afterward, the saltwater solution and hardness minerals are washed and flushed down the drain, and the water softener continues its normal operation.

Issues

If you use a salt-based water softener, you have to add a bag of sodium chloride to the salt storage tank every once in a while.

Also, salt-based water softeners consume a lot of water during regeneration. The saltwater rinse-off procedure can waste up to 100 gallons per cycle, depending on the individual water hardness.

Besides consuming some electricity and wasting gallons of water, salt-based water softeners also pollute the environment. The extra sodium may get into the soil and cause stunted growth in plants or finds its way into freshwater. The excess chloride in softened water can harm freshwater plants and organisms by affecting their reproductive patterns and destroying their entire ecosystem.

Overall, salt-based water softeners are an issue for the environment and for plants, which is why several farming cities in southern California have banned or severely restricted their usage.

How Salt-Free Water Softeners Work

Salt-free water softeners are also called water conditioners or descalers. They help stop the effects of hard water, although they operate differently from salt-based water softeners. Salt-free water softeners do not undergo the ion exchange or regeneration process.

In place of ion exchange, salt-free water softeners use various technologies, Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC) being one of the, where hardness minerals are transformed into micro-crystals. In this system, the hard water flows through a “nucleation site” full of TAC media. The nucleation site is where the micro-crystals are formed. As hard water comes in contact with the TAC media, magnesium and calcium ions are attracted and get stuck. More calcium and magnesium ions build up in the nucleation sites, forming small micro-crystals. When the crystals reach a certain size, they break off the TAC media and are released back into the water. The micro-crystals will remain crystalline as they flow through your home plumbing. These crystals will not cause scales to form in your pipes or give you any of the typical hard water problems.

In summary, salt-free water softeners do not remove hardness minerals; they only neutralize them and keep them in harmless forms.

Using a salt-free water softener is an excellent way to eliminate water hardness without all the wastewater and environmental hazards caused by salt-based water softeners. Salt-free softeners also increase your drinking water’s nutritional value because it doesn’t lack minerals beneficial to your body.

Other Reasons to Pick Salt-Free Water Softeners

Here are some more reasons salt-free water softeners are an excellent choice and to be preferred over salt-based systems.

Low Energy Consumption

Salt-free water softeners do not require electricity to work. Using a salt-free water softener means you’ll save on your electricity bill, compared to if you were using a salt-based water softener.

Easy to Maintain

Salt-free water softeners are very easy to maintain and install. The systems use either a single tank or cartridge. They don’t need to go through the regeneration process or saltwater rinse off, which means they don’t need drain connections.

Conclusion

Salt-free water softeners are critical to wastewater management because they do not need to go through regeneration, so they don’t produce wastewater. With salt-free water softeners, the processed water goes directly into your house or your water heater. If you live in an area where salt-based water softeners are banned, you can always try using a salt-free water softener. You should also consider getting a salt-free water softener if you run a farm or own a small garden.

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